HMS GRANADO - bomb vessel - 1742

Uwek

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Based on the big interest, which was produced by the new model kits devloped by CAF I decided to make a new topic,
showing the basic data and contemporary and new sources existing

HMS GRANADO (1742)
- bomb vessel -


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interesting is maybe also the fact, that the Constructor John Barnard built all together maybe 40 ships, tthe Granado was one of his first ships in the beginning of his career.



There are several contemporary drawings existing and available at the NMM

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No Scale. A plan showing the body plan with stern board decoration, inboard profile with stern-quarter decoration and figurehead, and a longitudinal half-breadth plan for the 'Granado' (1742). This ship was a bomb vessel.



j7658.jpg
Scale: 1:48. Plan showing the body plan, sheer lines with inboard detail and sketch of figurehead, and basic longitudinal half-breadth for Comet (1742); Terror (1742); Granado (1742); Firedrake (1742); Mortar (1742); Serpent (1742), all 8-gun, 2 mortar, Bomb Vessels. The plan includes the upper deck with platforms and hold superimposed, and a section and plan of the bomb bed and shell room.
Copies were sent in October 1741 to the merchant yards for the above ships.


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Here one excerpt showing the cross section




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Scale: 1:48. A plan showing the body plan, sheer lines with inboard and external detail, and a longitudinal half-breadth with mortar bed details. This plan was used to contstruct such vessels as the 'Alderney' (1734), 'Furnace' (1740), 'Lightning' (1740), 'Carcass' (1740), 'Thunder' (1740), 'Basilisk' (1740), 'Blast' (1740), 'Firedrake' (1742), and all bomb vessels.



j0339.jpg
Scale: 1:96. A plan showing the forecastle, upper deck, and fore and aft platforms for the 'Serpent' (1742), a bomb vessel, as taken off at Portsmouth Dockyard.



Interesting could be also the drawing of the predecessors Basilisk (1740); Blast (1740) Carcass (1740) Furnace 1740 Lightning 1740 Thunder 1740

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especially also the drawings of the HMS Furnace
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in Scale: 1:48. Plan showing the body plan, inboard profile, longitudinal half-breadth, upper and lower deck fittings, and fore & aft platforms for Furnace (1740), a Bomb Vessel, as converted for Arctic exploration in 1741. The reverse has 'N. West Passage' in ink.

 
One painting is existing by John Clevely

John_Cleveley_the_Elder_-_Launch_of_a_Fourth-Rate_on_the_River_Orwell.jpg

Launch of a Fourth-Rate on the River Orwell

This is believed to be a picture of the first three naval vessels built by John Barnard the Younger for the Navy Board. It is a composite in both time and subject and is thought to show the 'Hampshire', 50 guns, on the stocks, the 'Biddeford', 20 guns, being towed downstream and, in the left foreground, the 'Grenado', a bomb-vessel. The location is the River Orwell and the artist was positioned in the immediate vicinity of the Frensham Tower several miles downstream of Ipswich, immediately identifiable in the middle distance. The land on which the ship sits ready for launch is John's Ness, where the 'Hampshire' was the only 50-gun ship was built and was launched there in 1741.

The 'Biddeford', a sixth-rate, was built upstream at St Clement's Yard and launched in 1740. She was towed downstream to Harwich to be rigged: no other 20-gun ship was built upstream of John's Ness. This painting shows the boats involved in towing. The 'Grenado' was also built at the St Clement's Yard, the only bomb ketch ever built there, and was launched in 1742. In the picture she is shown without masts but the positioning of her mizzenmast indicates her rig. The bomb ketch was a relatively uncommon vessel with distinctive lines. It is not known why Cleveley selected these three Barnard-built ships launched in different years to appear in the same picture. The work may have been commissioned from him by the Barnard family but no evidence exists to support this.




Two more paintings are existing where the Granado / Grenado is also shown, but unfortunately these paintings are not uploaded until now at the NMM

[Capture of Havana, 1762. Plate 5.] Landing and Marching the Troops along the Shore towards the Fort Cojimar... June 7th 1762. With the Transports anchoring along the Shore, also His Majesty's Ship Dragon and the Bomb Granada attacking the Fort and Batteries

One of the set of 12 published between April 1764 and May 1765 by Lieutenant Philip Orsbridge: see PAH7730. PAH7741-PAH7752 are a complete set.

[Capture of Havana, 1762. Plate 5.] To the Rt Honble George Keppel, Earl of Albemarle &c.&c...Chief of all His Majesty's Land forces at the Attacks and Reduction of the Havannah, This Perspective View of the Landing and Marching the Troops along the shore towards the Fort Cojimar...His Majesty's Ship Dragon and the Granada Bomb, attacking the Fort and Batteries...

One of the set of 12 published bOne of the set of 12 published between April 1764 and May 1765 by Lieutenant Philip Orsbridge: see PAH7730. PAI6303 - PAI6313 are an incomplete set missing plate 3.

 
And we have also several model shown in the collection of the NMM


Grenado (1742); Fighting vessel; Bomb vessel

Scale: 1: 48. A full hull and partially planked model of the ‘Grenado’ (1742), a bomb ketch fitted with two 12-inch mortars. The model has been designed to lift apart to reveal the internal construction and layout of an 18th-century bomb vessel. The hull is almost entirely built from boxwood but the mortars have been turned in ebony and painted to represent bronze. It is complete with a wealth of removable parts allowing a visual deconstruction.

The model illustrates how the mortars were operated and where the shells were stowed down below, and it is also has a set of large sweeps or oars as a backup should the wind drop and minor re-positioning be required. Such is the high standard of modelmaking, it was awarded the gold medal in the National Maritime Museum’s First International Ship Model Competition held in Greenwich in 1975.

Vessels of this type were one of many of the ketch-rigged vessels built in the merchant yards. The ketch rig enabled the positioning of two sea mortars amidships and provided a stable platform from which to operate. The ‘bombs’, as they were known, were anchored off shore and employed in bombarding enemy coastal fortifications.

The ‘Grenado’ measured 91 feet along the maindeck by 26 feet in the beam and was 279 tons burden. It had an eventful career and was present at the attack on Martinique in 1759, the capture of Guadeloupe in 1759, the capture of Martinique and the Havana expedition in 1762. It was eventually sold the following year.

ID:SLR0331
Collection:Ship models
Type:Full hull model; Frame model; Plank-on-frame; Separating model
Display location:Not on display
Creator:Lightley, Robert A.
Vessels:Grenado (1742)
Date made:1971-2 (19 January 1971-23 August 1972); 19 January 1971-23 August 1972 1972- 19 January 1971-23 August 1972
Credit:National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London. Reproduced with kind permission of Robert Lightley
Measurements:Overall: 280 x 690 x 220 mm

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from Jotika:

http://www.jotika-ltd.com/Pages/1024768/Nelson_13.htm

Twelve bomb vessels, including Granado (the sixth), were built at the outbreak of the War of Jenkins's Ear in 1739.

Granado was ordered on September 14th 1741 and the keel was laid on November 18th 1741. Although it is uncertain who designed the Granado, it is commonly attributed to Thomas Slade, the naval Surveyor who oversaw the construction of the ship at Ipswich. Thomas Slade also went on to design famous ships such as H.M.S. Victory.

Granado was unusual in that she was designed to be used as either a sloop or a bomb vessel, being constructed with a conventional square stern.

Launched on June 22nd 1742, Granado was taken to Harwich, fitted out and put in commission as a sloop.

An Admiralty Order on July 15th 1745 was issued 'to fit her (Granado) as a bomb' but this order was reversed on July 17th 1745 and Granado remained as a sloop. It was not until 1756 that Granado was fitted for the first time as a bomb vessel from an Admiralty Order on July 26th 1756.

Between the launch of Granado on June 22nd 1742 and her fitting as a bomb vessel July 26th 1756 a number of changes had been made to Granado's configuration as compared to the original Admiralty plans the most noticeable of these are as follows:

1. Two extra 4pdr carriage guns were added (Admiralty order of June 20th 1745) bringing the total 4pdr carriage guns to 10.

2. Two bow chaser gun ports were added allowing accommodation of the extra guns either under the forecastle as bow chasers or at the fifth gunports.

3. The mortars as shown in the Admiralty plans are two 13 inch mortars however when fitted as a bomb vessel this was actually changed to 1 x 13inch and 1 x 10inch mortar. This is confirmed by the provisions list on March 30th 1757 which details 50 large and 50 small shells.

Granado remained as a bomb vessel until the Admiralty Order to fit her as a sloop on March 20th 1760. It was during this period as a bomb vessel that Granado was involved in her most active role.

On January 22nd 1759 Granado and the squadron under command of Commodore John Moore anchored off Basse Terre. The following morning the citadel and batteries of Basse Terre were bombarded. By January 24th troops had occupied the forts of Basse Terre and Fort Royal, the town had been devastated by fire caused by the carcasses discharged from the bomb vessels.

On February 7th, the fleet moved to attack Fort Louis at the entrance to Cul de Sac Bay. The attack began the following day and by February 15 the bombardment ceased with the capture of the Fort.

Granado was again converted to a bomb vessel in August 1761 and she remained as such until she was sold on August 30th 1763 for £575. During this period Granado was involved in the action of capturing Morro Castle and El Morro in the West Indies and the capitulation of Havana on August 13th 1762.


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and we know two section models at the NMM


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Fighting vessel; Bomb vessel

Scale: Unknown. A model of a midship section of a bomb vessel made entirely of wood with metal fittings and painted in realistic colours. The model shows the position of a mortar, bed and platform and the strengthening of the ship's timbers to accommodate it. The hull is carved from solid wood and painted white below the waterline with solid black wales above and stained and varnished wood above the wales. A frieze is painted on the bulwarks featuring acanthus leaf decoration on a blue background. The gunwales are painted black and there are five swivel guns mounted on the port and starboard sides. The deck is shown in frame and features two hatches and four large guns on sea service carriages. All the depicted guns are turned in wood, painted gold with red barrel tips. Directly beneath the mortar position strengthened vertical and horizontal timbers encompass a two-tier shot rack. The model is displayed on a black painted display wooden rectangular baseboard with a pair of stabiliser supports, in an original display case, glazed on all four sides and top.


and the missing dismantled parts of the section model

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Warship; Bomb vessel

Mortar and bed for the contemporary model of the midship section of a bomb ketch circa 1760. Contained in a bag.

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Six guns for the contemporary model of the midship section of a bomb ketch circa 1760. Contained in a bag.

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Two hatch covers and four pieces of decking for the contemporary model of the midship section of a bomb ketch circa 1760. Contained in a bag.



another section model
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Scale: 1:24. A contemporary model of the midship section of a bomb ketch circa 1760. The hull is painted white below the waterline and the gunwale above is painted black. The hull above the gunwale has been varnished to resemble planking. Along the strakes three small guns have been mounted on either side of the hull. The framing and knees can be seen as well as deck beams. There are cannon balls in the shot racks beneath the mortar bed. The deck is shown mostly unplanked and in the centre is an octagonal mortar bed with two gratings fore and aft. The mortar covers are open so as to expose the mortar which is shown in an elevated position. The mortar covers, bed and other details have been painted red. The mortar and guns are painted gold. The model is displayed resting on its keel on a baseboard with two stabiliser supports and the baseboard rests on four bun feet. There is a label that reads: "Section of bomb vessel c.1760 showing mortar in position with magazine below". "Folio 1995" and "Folio 1295" are also on label.


 
and not to forget the book by Peter Goodwin part of the Anatomy of Ships series


The Bomb Vessel GRANADO (Anatomy of the Ship)
by Peter Goodwin

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some excerpts ....

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you can find the detailed Book Review with Look Inside here:

 
Were any bombs purpose built or were they all/mostly converted?
I guess, I have to check this, that a lot of bomb vessels were purpose built, especially the earlier french one, like the class of the Salamandre with the fixed two mortars firing over the bow.

Bomb vessels were highly specialized and expensive to fit out and maintain, and only marginally suited for their secondary role as cruisers. Because bomb vessels were built with extremely strong hulls to withstand the recoil of the mortars, several were converted in peacetime as ships for exploration of the Arctic and Antarctic regions, where pack ice and icebergs were a constant menace. Most famously, these ships included HMS Erebus and HMS Terror. In this case, the volcanoes – Mount Erebus and Mount Terror on Ross Island in Antarctica – were named after the ships, instead of vice versa.

Nicholas_Pocock_-_The_Battle_of_Copenhagen,_2_April_1801.jpg
In this painting of the Battle of Copenhagen (1801) by Nicholas Pocock, Royal Navy bomb vessels in the left foreground fire over the British and Danish lines of battle into Copenhagen in the background



you can search for bomb vessels under "Restrict search to ships defined as"
 
Some more information about the history of the HMS Granado / HMS Grenado 1742 are in the meantime in wikipedia

Especially about her later career as merchantman under the rename Prince Frederick, whaler renamed to Prince Frederick Prudence or only Prudence and finally as a transport until she wrecked

The wrecking occurred on 20 May 1782. Prudence and Union were serving as ordnance store ships when a storm drove them from Calicut roads. They were unable to clear Cotta Point and wrecked on the reefs there.

 
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